Endoscopes and catheters are currently being used in a number of different medical procedures. For example, catheters are frequently used to introduce surgical tools, fluids, and other materials, such as radiographic contrast materials, angioplasty balloons, fiberoptic scopes, laser lights, and cutting instruments, into body vessels, cavities or tissue. In addition, catheters may also be used to perform therapeutic treatments by inserting surgical instruments or fluid through a treatment or working channel of an endoscope or catheter.
As the number of uses being made of catheters increases, the need to control and manipulate the catheter becomes more important. Various techniques and systems have been developed for guiding or steering the catheters into the body vessels or cavities for use of these tools, fluids, and other materials. Several catheters have been developed which rely on the use of wiring systems or linked segments within the catheter for controlling movement in a portion thereof. Examples of these devices may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,251 by Hosono entitled "Flexible Tube Endoscope"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,245 by Takagi et al. entitled "Flexible Tube"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,568 by Irion, et al. entitled "Flexible Endoscope"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,053 by Dittrich entitled "Flexible Tubular Device"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,222 by Morishita entitled "Endoscopic Flexible Tube"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,551 by Siegmund, et al. entitled "Flexible Plastic Tube for Endoscopes And The Like"; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,148 by Sosnowski, et al. entitled "Deflectable-End Endoscope With Detachable Flexible Shaft Assembly".
Other catheters have been developed which require the insertion of an instrument into a channel or lumen of the catheter to control the movement thereof. Examples of such devices may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 922,985 by Wappler entitled "Endoscope"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,012 by Mizumoto entitled "Rigid Type Endoscope"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,621 by Patel entitled "Endoscope Having Novel Proximate and Distal Portions"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,972 entitled "Device For Diagnostic And Therapeutic Intravascular Intervention"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,713 by Hiraoka entitled "Instrument Incorporated In A Resectoscope"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,908 by Wardie entitled "Inspection Instrument With Flexible Shaft Having Deflection Compensation Means"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,969 by Wardle entitled "Multi-Lumen Core Deflecting Endoscope"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,326 by Shishido entitled "Endoscope Having Insertion End Guide Means". These devices, although illustrating various control techniques, do not provide ease of insertion and control to the hand of the physician.
Other catheter control techniques may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,228 by Mitsui entitled "Apparatus For Adjusting The Flexing Of The Bending Section Of An Endoscope"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,326 by Yamaka, et al. entitled "Curvature Control Mechanism In Endoscopes"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,090 by McCoy entitled "Steerable and Aimable Catheter"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,450 by Patel entitled "Endoscope Having Variable Flexibility"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,602 by Hake entitled "Endoscope Construction with Means For Controlling Rigidity and Curvature of Flexible Endoscope Tube"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,230 by Maloney, et al. entitled "Steerable Catheter Tip"; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,613 by Hake entitled "Endoscope Construction With Means For Controlling Rigidity And Curvature Of Flexible Endoscope Tube". These control systems attempt to control portions of the catheter by inserting instruments therein or inserting wires or other control mechanisms within a tube of the catheter. Like the other known devices, however, the mechanisms for controlling these catheters are often awkward and bulky making both insertion and control of the catheter difficult.
Thus, there still exists a need to provide a catheter that allows for easy insertion into the body vessel, cavity or tissue and which provides for easy control and manipulation of the catheter by the physician to improve the simultaneous use of surgical tools, such as fiberoptic scopes or the like, and/or fluids needed for medical operations. Easy insertion and manipulation of the catheter increases the physician's ability to readily locate, isolate, view, and/or perform a surgical procedure at the desired area within the body vessel, cavity or tissue.